Placerita Canyon Historic Photos - Oil Related

White oil flowing from the New Century Oil Company well in Placerita Canyon (1900-1901). Probably Well #1 of the four that New Century would drill. Note the tracks for a funicular in the background. A funicular is also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway. From the Braun Research Library Collection, Autry National Center, Gift of Mr. Charles F. Lummis, "Photograph of an oil well", TheAutry.org.

New Century Oil Company well (same well as above) from "Petroleum In California - A Concise and Reliable History of the Oil Industry of the State" by Lionel V. Redpath, 1900

Probable site of the New Century Oil Company well in the previous photos. There is evidence of the funicular, including part of a track, in the gulley crossing the Canyon Trail shown here behind the white oil seep. (photo taken on 7/25/2013)

This is a funicular, probably lower down the hill from the New Century well, although it is hard to tell. From The Oil Age Monthly, Vol. 3, No. 11, April 7, 1911, p. 4.

From the Petroleum Age, Vol. 6, No. 11, November 1919, p. 480. Unfortunately, they don't tell us the name of this well.

From the Braun Research Library Collection, Autry National Center, F. H. Maude, "Lantern slide of a distant oil well in Placerita Canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains", TheAutry.org.

Looking west down Placerita Canyon, two derricks visible (left of center in the middle). This is up the canyon east of the Nature Center. Those are probably New Century Oil Company wells.

Looking west down Placerita Canyon today (7/27/2012). Obviously, I'm too far away and high up to exactly duplicate the previous photo, but it's about as close I as I can get considering the amount of brush lower down.

Confusion Hill. From the Valley Times Collection at the Los Angeles Public Library. Photo ca. 1949

About the same view of the previous photo. View towards the southwest. Taken on 6/25/2016

Photo from the Newhall Signal of March 31, 1949.

Juanita 1 from the Oil & Gas Journal of October 6, 1949. Juanita was the wife of Jose Ramon Somavia, Yant's partner.

Photo from the Newhall Signal of April 7, 1949, showing Jean 2, spudded on March 23, 1949, on Confusion Hill. Drilling was completed on April 3, 1949, at a total depth of 1772 feet. Initial production was 432 bbl. per day. It was plugged and abandoned in 2000. Yant was married to Geneva F. Duckworth at the time. Jean was probably her nickname.

Confusion Hill. From the Valley Times Collection at the Los Angeles Public Library. Photo ca. 1949

Confusion Hill. From the Valley Times Collection at the Los Angeles Public Library. Photo ca. 1949

Confusion Hill. From the Valley Times Collection at the Los Angeles Public Library. Photo ca. 1949

Confusion Hill. From the Valley Times Collection at the Los Angeles Public Library. Photo ca. 1949

Confusion Hill. ca. 1952. Los Angeles Examiner Photographs Collection, 1920-1961, Special Collections, University of Southern California.

Confusion Hill. ca. 1952. Los Angeles Examiner Photographs Collection, 1920-1961, Special Collections, University of Southern California.

1957 view west down Placerita Canyon from Sierra Highway. Note the Los Angeles Aqueduct in the left distance. It can also be seen running along the ground on the left. It is only exposed on the ground like this on the north side of the canyon. The Placerita Canyon siphon of the first Los Angeles Aqueduct is 1572 feet in length and 11 feet in diameter. The total cost was $27,097 and was completed sometime in the 12 months before June 30, 1912. Image from the Valley Times Collection at the Los Angeles Public Library.

Looking down Placerita Canyon from Sierra Highway. Higher up and a wider shot then the previous photo. (4/8/2015)

View northwest down Placerita Canyon from Sierra Highway. North side of canyon showing the Los Angeles Aqueduct on the right. Date unknown, but it looks older then the previous 1957 photo based on the size of the plants and the number of tanks. From the Santa Clarita Valley History website.

It's almost impossible to recreate the previous photo. This is about as good as I could do. I was standing on Sierra Highway. (4/10/2015)

This photo (ca. 1950) shows Confusion Hill. Sierra Highway is the road on the right. The view is towards the northeast looking over Quigley Canyon.
From The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, Photo Archives, Ernest Marquez Collection.

This was scanned from the book Drilling Ahead by William Rintoul (Valley Publishers, Santa Cruz, 1981). The caption from the book says: "One of the first rigs to go to work on "Confusion Hill" was this Clyde Drilling Company rig, which drilled for Rothschild Oil Company. (California Oil World)"

This was scanned from the book Drilling Ahead by William Rintoul (Valley Publishers, Santa Cruz, 1981). The caption from the book says: "Portable rigs could drill and complete a Placerita well in as little as a week's time, sometimes bringing in the well for as much as 3,000 barrels a day. (Ira Carroll, Petroleum World)"

This was scanned from the book Drilling Ahead by William Rintoul (Valley Publishers, Santa Cruz, 1981). The caption from the book says: "Atlantic Oil Company completed Lackwin No. 1, marked by the christmas tree, left center. A.G. McHale moved in to drill an offset, Woodworth No. 1, right, on a lease measuring 33 by 61 feet. Gordon Drilling Company offset with Peggy Moore No. 10, rig on left. (Ira Carroll, Petroleum World)"

This was scanned from the book Drilling Ahead by William Rintoul (Valley Publishers, Santa Cruz, 1981). The caption from the book says: "In drilling Meyers No. 1, Atlantic Oil Company found itsel hemmed in on both sides, so the crew slid the kelly out along the runway. (Ira Carroll, Petroleum World)"

This was scanned from the book Drilling Ahead by William Rintoul (Valley Publishers, Santa Cruz, 1981). The caption from the book says: "When the rigs left, the hill that M.R. Yant had subdivided looked like a tank farm. (California Oil World)"

From the Diesel Progress journal of July, 1950.

From the Oil & Gas Journal of May 31, 1951.

From the Oil & Gas Journal of June 21, 1951.

From the Newhall Signal of February 3, 1975.